dickey



W. H. DICKEY. Chain.

No. 229,104. Patented June 22,1880.

NVPETERS, PHOTO-UTMQGRAHHER. WqsHlNGTON. D c

EJNITED STATES.

PATENT @rrrca.

WVILLIAM: ELDICKEY, OF JAOKSON,1\IIUH.IGAN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO GEORGE S. BENNETT, OF SAME PLACE.

CHAIN.

SIFCIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 229,104, dated June 22, 1880.

Application filed February 24, 1880. v

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM H. DIoKEY, of Jackson, in the countyof Jackson and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and 5 useful Improvements in Chains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, V and to letters of reference marked thereon,

which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section taken on line 00 y, Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is aplan or top view of portions of two connecting-links. a longitudinal section with the linksin the position in which they are placed for coupling and uncoupling. Fig. 4 is.a View with the links at substantially a right angle to each other. Fig. 5 is a transverse section on line 2 2, Fig. 2.

Each link is composed of two side bars, A,

' an end bar, B, and a hook, 0, attached to the end bar, D, at the oppositeend. Each side bar is curved near the end towhic-h the hook is attached, as shown in Figs.'l, 3, and 4, its under side being, by preference, re-enforced by a rib or fin, a.

In Figs. 1 and 4 the hook end of the side bar is constructed with a shoulder, a, and the opposite end of the side bar is recessed or grooved, as shown in full lines at a in Fig. 2 and in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 4.. The end bar is recessed centrally, as at b. (See particular] y Fig. 5.)

The hook (l U is attached to the end bar,

D, the shank portion 0 being formed in substantially the same plane with the upper faces of the curved portion of the side bars.

40 a The opening or seat of the hook is substantially circular in form, and is described upon a circle of the same diameter as that portion of the end bar, B, which is not recessed. The lip of the hook terminates in a flat surface, 0

' 'c, which is substantially parallel with the upper face of the shank O, of the hook, for the purpose of forming a throat through which to pass the end bar of the adjacent link.

Referring to Fig. 4, it is seen that when the links are turned into the position there shown Fig. 8 is as, for instance, when running over a small sprocket'wheel or a ti ghtenin g-pulleythe upper face of the end bar is nearly covered by the lip of the hook. Hence there is but little tendency to wear off the lip, and in case that part c'of the lip which is in contact with the end bar is worn away that portion 0 of the lip and a part of the face intervening between 0 and 0' will retain the form shown in the drawings, thus insuring that the throat of the hook shall remain practically unchanged, for which reason the hook cannot be uncoupled,

even after the parts are considerably worn, 'until the links are turned into the position shown in Fig. 3, thus overcoming the objection which is frequently found in this class of chainsthat is, the liability of their becoming accidentally disconnected when the parts are somewhat worn.

By an examination of Fig. 1 it will be seen that the shoulders a also assist in preventing looseness of the end bar within the hook, by reason of the parts a of the end bars abutting against the shoulders at, thus relieving the part c of the lip from wear, to which it would be subjected were the linksconstructed without these shoulders; and it will also be seen that when one link of the series is inverted the chain can be coupled or uncoupled with much less slack than is required for that pur- 8o pose when the links are all the same side up, and that when one link is thus reversed relative tothe others the shoulders a, also serve as stops to prevent endwise play of the link within the hook, which ismore essential under this relation of parts than under the other, to guard against accidental unhooking by reason of a slight wear of parts.

One advantage which is due to bending the side bars near the hook end of the link is this: When the lip of the hook is formed as indicated at c c, Fig. 1, the end bar, D, may be the full size in cross-section of the side bar, except that it is flattened a little upon its upper face, whereby there is a wide throat formed through 9 5 which to pass the opposite end bar, and the bent portions of the side bars are formed in planes which are substantially parallel with the plane of the lower face of the throat; or when the side bars are provided with the shoul- 10o ders a the space between them is sunk or recessed so as to form practically continuations of the lower face of the throat, to rcceive'thc opposite ends of the side bars of a connectinglink, which may be made straight, and carry an end bar, 13, having a diameter in cross-section equal to that of the sidebars, and arranged in the same plane, thus securing great strength of parts without undue Weight of metal, and at the same time permitting a construction of hook which prevents an increased liability of becoming detached as the chain becomes slightly worn.

I do not herein claim any feature of invention except that specifically set forth in the claim, as I prefer to claim all other patentable inventions in another case heretofore filed by me, of which this is a division.

What I claim is-' A chain-link having its side bars bent near 20 the side bars being provided With grooves a 25 a and shoulders aa, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of February, 1880.

WILLIAM H. DICKEY.

Witnesses:

D. V.. BUNNELL, GEO. S. BENNETT. 

